Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.
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In his 20’s, working an office job he hated, Tom woke up in the middle of the night with a wild idea: why not take people on bike trips? No playbook. No investors. Just a sense that he could make a living doing what he loved. His first trip? Four guests riding through Death Valley, pitching their own tents. From there, Backroads scaled to hotels, while weathering a bike burglary, a van rollover in the desert, 9/11, the Great Recession, and a pandemic that brought tourism to a halt. Today, Backro...
Tariq Farid the founder of Edible Arrangements joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tariq updates Guy on how he’s pivoting into a new industry while ushering in the next generation of leadership at the company. First, we hear from Jake in Virginia who’s wondering how he can make his Filipino-inspired banana ketchup mainstream in America. Then, Heather in Sweden wants to know if she should change the name of her luxury polar voyage company t...
In 2010, software engineer Natalie Gordon was pregnant– and fed up with the overwhelming baby aisles in big box stores. So she quit her computer job to code the registry she wished existed. No pink-and-blue giraffes. No allegiance to a single store. Just a universal list that let friends give the real help that new parents need—from strollers to diaper services to dog-walking. Natalie coded the first lines of Babylist during her son’s nap time. She managed customer support, pitched bloggers from...
Wayfair co-founder Niraj Shah joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about how to bet on themselves – and define themselves to consumers. Plus, Niraj explains why Wayfair is expanding into large-format brick-and-mortar stores. First up, Valerie in Washington, D.C., is looking for a better way to educate consumers about her dehydrated chicken stock. Then, Bree in Utah wants to know when to seek investment in her improved mineral sunscreen brand. And ...
Jeff Braverman bravely left a high-paying finance job to reinvent his family's century-old Newark Nut Company, which was struggling at $1M in sales. Recognizing the internet's potential, he launched nutsonline.com, using Google AdWords to dramatically boost orders. Despite family skepticism and challenges like losing their physical store and navigating a COVID-induced demand surge, Jeff rebranded to Nuts.com and scaled the business to over $100M, becoming a direct-to-consumer snack empire while maintaining its family ownership and values.
Lyft co-founder John Zimmer joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, John talks about his recent decision to step away from the company he founded in 2012. First, Alan from England asks about the best strategy for expanding his patented shower innovation to the U.S. Then, Teri from California looks for advice on raising money because her weighted “rucking” vest for women keeps selling out. And finally, Kobi from New York wants to know how to priorit...
What happens when a charismatic home renovator marries a budding design whiz? You get the billion-dollar powerhouse that is Chip and Joanna Gaines. The Gaines’ TV show Fixer Upper became a cultural obsession, turning shiplap and farmhouse sinks into a lifestyle movement that swept America. When they walked away from that show at peak popularity, everyone thought they were crazy. Instead, they turned their business Magnolia into a thriving lifestyle brand, which includes a network, retail, restau...
Stacy’s Pita Chips co-founder Stacy Madison joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Stacy talks about her hard-won experience of knowing when to stick with an idea… and when to walk away. First up, Sam wants to figure out how to leverage his popular pizza instagram account into the go-to place for men to learn how to bake. Then, Alex wants to know how to make his Peruvian pisco brand stand out in a relatively unknown liquor category. And final...
When identical twins Mike and Alex Faherty launched their clothing brand, they made a daring move– launching wholesale, retail, and online, pretty much at the same time. Investors said it was outdated, maybe even doomed. But that contrarian bet helped grow Faherty into a hugely popular brand, built on family, ingenuity, and obsession with detail. The two brothers spent 12 years preparing for launch—Mike at Ralph Lauren learning the craft of fashion, Alex in finance learning the mechanics of busi...
Dollar Shave Club founder Michael Dubin joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Michael shares his latest career pivot into the screenwriting world. First, Benita from New Jersey asks how to create a “guerilla-style” marketing campaign to introduce customers to her specialty Syrian Cheese. Then, Brandon from California wonders how he can encourage his mobile mini golf employees to become more emotionally invested in his business. And finally, Bria ...
What if the best startup isn’t sexy at all? In 2013, Vijen Patel left private equity to pursue “the least-worst idea”: dry cleaning. No patents. No app wizardry. Just laundry lockers in high-rises, ruthless unit economics, and a $1.99-a-shirt price that was seared into America’s brain. From bootstrapping routes at 5 a.m. to breaking even in 6 weeks, Vijen and co-founder Drew McKenna scaled Pressbox to hundreds of locations, stared down well-funded competitors, and ultimately sold to Procter &...
Tony Xu, founder of DoorDash, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tony updates Guy on his latest ventures: expanding into grocery and retail delivery - and taking on international markets. First, we hear from Ron in Portland, who’s wondering about the right time to expand his product line - from kitchen knives to cutting boards. Then Kathryn in Raleigh, North Carolina asks if it’s time to raise outside money to expand her line of date swee...
What if the founder of one of the internet’s most enduring brands… never wanted to run a company? In 1995, Craig Newmark was a 42-year-old computer programmer in San Francisco who simply wanted to share local tech meetups with friends. He started an email list that became Craigslist—a website that reshaped how we find jobs, apartments, and community. In this conversation, Craig opens up about how not having a grand vision (or a taste for power) led to one of the most popular platforms in the wor...
Randy Hetrick, former Navy SEAL and founder of the suspension training company TRX, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Randy updates Guy on his latest venture, a mobile gym called Outfit that brings the workout to you. First, we hear from Paige in Toronto, who’s wondering how to best capitalize on a major new retail account for her caffeine-conscious energy drink company. Then Kerri in British Columbia asks how to select the right strateg...
A decade ago, Allison Ellsworth was drinking apple cider vinegar for health reasons and doctoring it with fruit so she could stand the taste. Her husband Stephen helped her turn it into a business by adding carbonation on a hacked soda line in their Dallas townhouse. They called it “Mother Beverage,” and sold out every week at the farmers market…but then heard the words no founder forgets: “Your branding is…sh*t.” What happens next is one of the wildest CPG glow-ups of the 2010s: a Shark Tank de...
Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Jones Road Beauty, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Bobbi shares what drove her to found her new company — Jones Road — at the age of 62. First we meet Mark in Chicago, an orthopedic surgeon who’s looking to promote his cabbage-based muscle and joint rub beyond the walls of his practice. Then Abby in Dallas, who’s wondering whether her popular social media livestreams are a sust...
Many of us don’t know our neighbors anymore — and Nirav Tolia wanted to change that. He walked away from millions in stock options at Yahoo and eventually co-founded Nextdoor, the hyperlocal social network where neighbors share local news and recommendations. Along the way, he learned that for a digital service, Nextdoor demanded a ton of manual work: drawing neighborhood boundaries with Sharpies, sending individual “invite” postcards by snail mail, talking to neighbors about the information the...
Priority Bicycles founder and CEO Dave Weiner joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Dave shares his strategy for keeping sales steady and positioning Priority Bicycles for continued growth in uncertain or declining markets. First, we meet Dave from Rhode Island who’s trying to figure out how to bring his oft-misunderstood coffee milk product to the national market. Then, Alex from Buffalo who is deliberating whether to scale her lavender farm and...
In the summer of 2000, Razor scooters were everywhere—on sidewalks, in schools, even in Silicon Valley offices. At the center of it all was Carlton Calvin, an ex-lawyer turned toy mogul who had already ridden—and crashed—multiple crazes, from Pogs to yo-yos. Carlton knew how to spot what kids wanted before the world caught on. But when Razor went from selling a million scooters a month to zero almost overnight, his business teetered on collapse. This is a story about timing, obsession and instin...
This week, Guy is joined by Lady Gaga’s former manager Troy Carter, Joe Gebbia of Airbnb, and Sadie Lincoln of barre3 in a special mashup episode of the Advice Line about playing to your business’s strengths. First, Honor from Australia wants to partner with a celebrity in a way that actually boosts her pill organizer brand. Then, Arvy from Johannesburg digs into what makes his sporting and outdoor optics company special. And finally, Genevieve from Montana discovers all the different ways her c...
What does it take to turn a Brooklyn beer salesman into the king of iced tea? In the early 1990s, the iced tea market was dominated by Lipton, Nestea, and Snapple. But Don Vultaggio saw an opening. A single moment—watching Snapple cases fly off a truck in winter—sparked an idea that would change his life: why not sell tea in a tallboy can? AriZona exploded—outselling Snapple and becoming a multi-billion-dollar brand. Behind the success was struggle: Don fought to keep the company private. and fa...
Entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspiration behind his latest venture, Coyote— a 10-minute card game that encourages time spent with friends and family. First, Lauryn from San Francisco asks about the best way to scale her biodegradable ear plugs in two very different directions. Then Emily from Kansas City weighs whether DTC or wholesale is where to focus her accessory brand af...
In 2001, three web designers built a quirky email tool called Mailchimp. It wasn’t their main business. It wasn’t even meant to make real money. For years, Ben Chestnut and his partners survived on web-design gigs, while Mailchimp earned just enough to cover lunch. Then…one surprising spreadsheet changed everything. In this episode, Ben reveals: The decision that tripled their revenue overnight How a mispronunciation on the world's biggest podcast turned into a marketing masterstroke How a painf...
Ring founder Jamie Siminoff joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about balancing short- and long-term goals. Today, we meet Vico, an industrial designer in southern California who's launching a crowdfunding campaign for his patented ergonomic desk. Then Iyin, a Baltimore-based product specialist seeking to balance accessibility and profitability for her ethically-sourced chocolate brand. And Franchesca, an Atlanta area educator deliberating whether to pur...
Amy Errett had a successful career in finance and venture capital before taking a leap into an entirely new business: hair color. When her wife complained about the indignities of coloring her hair at home, Amy realized the sector was ripe for a makeover. At age 56, she dove into the minutiae of dyes and developers, launching her own formula in 2013, and naming it after her daughter. Madison Reed’s early successes were marred by a management meltdown, when Amy had to break with three of her co-f...
In 2021, Daniel Humm shook up the dining world by making his 3-Michelin-star restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, 100% plant-based. No meat. No butter. No cream. It was a first in fine dining, igniting global headlines, industry backlash, and endless debate. Now, in an exclusive podcast conversation with Guy Raz, Daniel shares his next bold decision—he's reintroducing animal products. Daniel shares what he learned from his years of plant-based cooking and how the experiment forever changed his creat...
Discover how Jason McGowan, with co-founder Sawyer Hemsley, transformed Crumbl into a dessert powerhouse by applying tech principles to cookies, including iterative recipe testing and an early focus on a proprietary delivery app. Their innovative approach, featuring weekly rotating flavors and a massive TikTok following, propelled Crumbl from a single store to over 1,000 locations in just eight years, redefining how food brands are built in the digital age.
Chesapeake Bay Candle and Blueme founder Mei Xu joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Mei shares the importance of businesses meeting people every where they shop. First, Sasha, who started a gourmet pot pie company in Brooklyn, New York, asks how to find the right co-founder who can do the things she can’t. Then, Tara from Dubai, Saudi Arabia wants to know whether to market her towel dress directly to consumers. And finally, Lindsay in Grand Rap...
Long before he became famous as the sharp-tongued TV personality who launched the careers of pop stars, Simon Cowell was a rebellious teenager who dropped out of school and started his career in the mailroom at EMI. After a failed business left him nearly bankrupt, he found success by zigging where others zagged—initially by selling hit records based on TV shows like Power Rangers and WrestleMania. Eventually Simon got behind the TV camera himself, where his brutally honest feedback on shows lik...
Isaac Larian is the founder of MGA Entertainment, the company behind Bratz and LOL Surprise dolls. This week, he joins Guy on Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Isaac talks about the effects of tariffs on the toy industry. First, we meet Meghan from Nashville, who finds that the customer for her educational toys may not be who she thought. Then, Libie from New York wants to grow her orthopedic cork insole business and to expand her customer base. And fina...
